Alberta
Looking for the best hiking in Alberta? We've got you covered with the top trails, trips, hiking, backpacking, camping and more around Alberta. The detailed guides, photos, and reviews are all submitted by the Outbound community.
Top Hiking Spots in and near Alberta
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Kananaskis, Alberta
Ribbon Falls
3.812.4 mi / 1148.3 ft gainRibbon Creek trail is accessible via Highway 40 at the turn off for Nakiska Mountain Resort. From there take a left at Centennial Drive and then a right onto Ribbon Creek Road. The hike begins at the far end of the Ribbon Creek Trailhead parking lot. There is an old coal mining cart at the start...Read more -
Bragg Creek, Alberta
Winter Hike Up Vent's Ridge
Whether it was the unseasonably warm weather; the forested, uneven, foot-wide, root-covered trail; limestone cliffs towering above me; the view of Myosotis Peak from the ridge; or exploring along Powderface Creek on the descent, this trail was an absolute blast.If you do this hike in February lik...Read more -
Bighorn No. 8, Alberta
Hike through McGillivray Canyon
1.0Between Pigeon Mountain and Mount McGilliveray, pull off the road and slow down until you see a little dirt road turn off to the large parking area.Follow the trail heading south- don't take the transcanada trail- further up you will find another small trail that takes you to the creek bed. Follo...Read more -
Kananaskis, Alberta
Hike Opal Ridge's South Summit
5.0Opal Ridge is located on the East side of highway 40 in Kananaskis.The trailhead starts at Fortress Gas Station. Park at the North end of the parking lot. The trailhead is easy to spot from here. Follow the creek a couple hundred meters till you reach an open area with power lines. Turn left. Con...Read more -
Jasper, Alberta
Hike the Cavell Meadows Trail
5.05.3 mi / 1500 ft gainJasper National Park is an outdoor wonderland filled with vibrant glacial waters and an abundance of wildlife. My favorite hike to experience the beauty of this park is the Cavell Meadows trail. At approximately 5.3 miles, the hike takes between 3-4 hours round trip so it's the perfect way to st...Read more -
Kananaskis, Alberta
Hike Centennial Ridge
9.9 mi / 4592 ft gainThis hike can be done as a full traverse, starting at the Ribbon Creek Trailhead and taking you to Dead Man's Flats, just off of the Trans Canada Highway. Starting at the trailhead in the Ribbon Creek parking lot, go north on Hidden Trail. You will be on this trail for ~ 200 m before you need to ...Read more -
Kananaskis, Alberta
Hike up Windtower Mountain
5.06.2 mi / 3182.4 ft gainSpray Lakes is one of my favorite areas in Kananaskis, and the view of Spray Lakes from the summit is absolutely breathtaking.The trailhead is located along the Smith-Dorrien Trail (Spray Lakes Road) – look for a yellow sign on the eastern side of the road, about 1 mile (1.5 km) south of the Drif...Read more -
Improvement District No. 9, Alberta
Scramble the Tower of Babel
4.01.94 mi / 1726 ft gainStarting at the Moraine Lake parking lot follow the trail East along behind the large pile of boulders along the lake shore. Once you reach the foot of the Tower of Babel scramble up the slope to heading towards the valley between the two peaks. The easiest route is along one of the cliff faces w...Read more -
Jasper, Alberta
Hike along the Athabasca Glacier
4.73 mi / 700 ft gainThis is not an advertisement for the guided tour, but you will see so much more of the glacier than if you do a bus tour or just visit the roped off visitor area. Do you research and you can find a company that will take you up onto the glacier safely. It was amazing looking into the crevasses an...Read more -
Improvement District No. 9, Alberta
Hike the Cory & Edith Pass Trail
4.09.3 mi / 3002 ft gainGoing west from Banff, take the first exit for Highway 1A (Bow Valley Parkway). Take the first right up to the fireside picnic area and begin your hike here. The first 5kms of the hike climb uphill through the forest, making up most of the 915m elevation gain. Watch for trail markers over the ro...Read more -
Kananaskis, Alberta
Hike up Galatea Creek to Lillian Lake
Located on Highway 40 (Kananaskis Trail) and marked by the "Galatea" sign, there's not much more to this hike other than putting one foot in front of the other, but the amount of traffic it sees is a testament to the quality of this hike.Even on the backend of winter the numerous shades of green ...Read more -
Canmore, Alberta
Hike Pigeon Mountain
Important note: trail closure from December 1 - June 15th.Altitude: 2,394m (7,852 ft)Elevation gain: 990m (3,247 ft)Round trip: 6-6.5 hours (15 kms)Heading West from Calgary on Trans Canada Highway #1 - take the Dead Mans Flats overpass, and go South for 1 -1.5 kms until you reach a parking lot. ...Read more -
Bighorn No. 8, Alberta
Heart Mountain and Grant MacEwan Scramble
2.0A bit of a jaunt is required to get to the start of the scramble - follow the Heart Creek Trail, and after crossing the creek, look for a yellow sign that marks the scramble route. There will be exposure as well as use of hands, but it is totally do-able as long as you keep your head right!After ...Read more -
Waterton, Alberta
Hike Bear's Hump, Waterton Lakes NP
4.71.7 mi / 738 ft gainThe trailhead is located at the Visitor Center of Waterton Lakes National Park. The trail is very well maintained, but know that the elevation gain is quick - in less than a mile you gain 738 ft. Roundtrip is 1.7 miles and is totally worth the short but strenuous hike.When you reach the top there...Read more -
Canmore, Alberta
Hike Grotto Mountain
7.5 mi / 4429.1 ft gainFrom Highway 1A take the exit to the Alpine Club of Canada. Park near the woodpile as the actual parking lot is for Alpine Club customers. The trailhead about 30 metres up the road from the woodpile.The start of the trail is fairly relaxed but it quickly becomes a steep uphill battle. There are t...Read more -
Jasper, Alberta
Hike the Saturday Night Loop
4.016.54 mi / 2326 ft gainThe trail is split up into three types of terrain: one-third uphill, one-third rugged, and one-third downhill. Begin at Cabin Creek Rd parking lot and follow Trailhead #3. If you plan on mountain biking the trail, most people do it in a day. If you happen to want to take longer or are hiking it,...Read more